new Baby Topic
Ageism in the New Millennium
The Future of Ageism:
Baby Boomers at the Doorstep
By Charles F. Lon£iino,Jr.
A s I write, we are in
tbe calm before tbe
storm. Tbe oldest baby Will their numbers or char-
save and expand Social
Security, Medicare, and
Medicaid. It certainly
boomer will retire in 2008, would be in tbeir interest
at age 62 witb Social Secu- acteristics alter the picture? to do so. Yet, bere ap-
rity early retirement, only proacbing tbe dawn of
tbree years away. Tbose tbeir retirement tbere is an
reacbing retirement now, bowever, were bom almost depressive sense of ennui. Wby?
late in tbe Depression era or early during World
War n , wben tbe fertility rate was at a bistorical THA T WAS T H E N . . .
low. Consequently, tbe populadon flow into Times bave cbanged since tbe 1970s. Tbe civil
retirement currently is also unusually low. rigbts movement yielded up tbe symbolic vic-
todes, tbe end to officially sancdoned racial dis-
A COMING STORM? crimination. Tbe bard work of enbancing
Tbat tbere will be a storm of some kind wben buman capital tbrougb educadon to erode racial
tbe baby boom retires is a widespread cultural differences in income is complicated, tedious,
assumption tbat sbould be examined. "ITie baby and relendess. Tbe Vietnam war bad mucb in
boomers, wbo make up tbe buge populadon common witb tbe current Iraq war. Botb bave
bulge bom between 1946 and 1964, were given been descdbed as idealisdc expressions ofAmer-
credit wben tbey were in college in tbe late 1960s ica's exercise of global power, a rigbteous
and 1970s for the accomplishments of many of attempt to police tbe world. Tbe difference
tbe social movements of tbat day: bringing between tbe two wars is tbe presence and
about civil rigbts legislation, ending tbe Viet absence of tbe draft. Today's warriors bave vol-
Nam war, breatbing new life into tbe moribund unteered to figbt, and tbe Vietnam war was also
women's movement, and lobbying for tbe estab- a mucb longer and bloodier affair.
lishment of tbe Environmental Protection Tbe gains from tbe women's movement bave
Agency. Now, many expea (or in some quarters been substantial, and tbey bave been main-
maybe fear) tbat wben tbe boomers reacb retire- streamed. For one tbing, young women are in
ment tbey will form a social movement tbat will tbe tbeater of battle in tbe current war, and young
Fall 2005 79
new Baby Topic
GENERATIONS
women are dying alongside young men. The mid-fifties. There is a nodceable dividing line
college-aged women of today rarely call them- between those who came of age before and aft:er
selves feminists, but they take for granted the the Watergate invesdgadon.
results of the movement. The second shift of The social idealism of the early boomers was
housework for wives in dual-career families is replaced by cynicism and turning inward
not yet equally shared by husbands. Change is among the later boomers: "Prividsm," it was
slow. We have made some progress at reigning called, exemplified by the withdrawn style of
in our escalating assault on the environment, so John Lennon and Yoko Ono during this
there is no longer the sense of neomalthusian period. The later baby boomers became a fer-
insistence that existed thirty-five years ago. Fur- tile recruiting ground for the idealism not of
thermore, zero population growth has been the left, but of the right, represented by Presi-
reached. Births and deaths are in balance; our dent Reagan in the 1980s.
nadonal population is only growingfi'omimmi- The view from die back of the baby boom
gration. But as a consequence, we are also grow- was one of increased competition, relative
ing considerably older as a nation. On the scarcity, and a sense of delayed rewards. East-
environmental scene, at least compared to the erlin and his colleagues (1993) argued that, faced
early 1970s, this is a time of relatively low urgency. with this challenge, two-earner families were
Urgency still arises, however. A sense of created to counter microeconomic stagnadon.
urgency did follow the 9/11 tragedy, and it gave Women moved more rapidly into the labor
us the Department of Homeland Security, an force. Compeddon within the baby boom for
ill-justified military venture in Iraq, and a huge educadon, jobs, and housing split their major
nadonal debt. Both the new department and paths in two direcdons, with one toward delayed
the war are expensive projects that have con- gratification and the other toward living on
tributed to the prevailing pessimism about our tomorrow. Credit cards were an invendon of
ability to deal now with an impending Social the baby boom. For most of their adult lives,
Security crisis. they have believed that Social Security would
The old-age movements that gave us the probably not be there for them. They tend to
Social Security legislation of 1935 and 1965 have have low expectadons. The fact that the real cd-
largely accomplished their goal of erasing the sis will not come until 2042 may be a hard sell
poverty differential between the old and the to these boomers. Whether the crisis is now or
general adult population. Talk of the "age wave" later, they simply do not trust the government
that will crash on the shoals of American busi- to fulfill its promises.
ness in this century has also eroded the long-
standing image of the elderly population as T H E NEGATIVE VIEW
being poor, frail, and deserving. Rather, now it The boomers have not come to this pes-
is thought of as a demographic, a market seg- simisdc conclusion unaided. For more than two
ment—and a growing and potentially lucrative decades, a steady drumbeat has hailed the
one at that. Where is the sense of advocacy that impending demise of Social Security and
motivated Maggie Kuhn and the Gray Panthers Medicare when the baby boom redres. It seems
in the late 1970s? Robyn Stone (2005) lamented inevitable. Many terms have been used for this
recendy that advocacy is largely missing from vision of the iutuic—apocalyptic demography or,
even the major gerontology organizadons today. alternadvely, the demographic imperative (Peter-
Today the focus is on preserving lifestyles, not son, 1999). We all know the story by heart: The
ensuring basic quality of life. populadon of the United States has aged dur-
In our essentialist tendency to characterize ing the endre twendeth century because the mor-
the whole eighteen-year-long birth cohort, we tality rate has declined at all ages, causing life
have forgotten that the baby boom generation expectancy to increase. This pattern is dramad-
was never politically uniform. The idealistic pro- cally enhanced by the aging of the post-World
testers were mostly the "leading edge" baby War II baby boom. The propordon of the U.S.
boomers, bom between the mid-fordes and the population surviving into old age is rapidly
80 Fall 2005
new Baby Topic
Ageism in theNew Millennium
growdng. The older populadon itself is also aging, the future is a bold soludon that no one who is
so the oldest pordon of it is increasing the fastest. still living would favor, a soludon that would
Furthermore, the old age "dependency ratio" be both ageist and genocidal.
will change undl there will be about thirty older
persons for every one-hundred persons ofwork- T H E POSITIVE VIEW
ing age, an impossible burden if nothing else There is a point of view, however, that is not
about the metric changes. To younger boomers, negadve, though admittedly the general popu-
the impending doom seems inescapable. Hence, ladon does not embrace it as they do the chill-
we are now experiencing the calm before the ing story above (Longino, 1996,1999). The
storm. But the storm is not expected to be a new posidve view points to the rising educadon and
and ferocious social movement, but rather a income levels among people of redrement age
storm of frailty, dependence, and neglect. and specvilates that these trends will pardaUy
Is this scary story modvated by ageism.^ Per- offset the societal burden of our aging popula-
haps. There are other strong insdtudonal mo- don as the baby boom redres. The increased
dves behind it as well. Apocalypdc demography presence of dual-career couples in this generadon
has been used to modvate support of any pro- lends credence to this positive view. With
gram having to do with the health of older peo- increasing levels of educadon and income, peo-
ple in the future. For example, since the pre- ple have more choices available after redrement
valence of Alzheimer's disease increases with and less prospect of dependency. Putting off
age, and the older populadon is both growing retirement for a while longer may become more
and aging, it is incumbent on us to find a cure for acceptable in the future for those whose work
Alzheimer's disease before we are overwhelmed has proven challenging and meaningful. Recent
by care needs for people with that disease. changes in Social Security reguladons that allow
Add to this self-serving tendency among care people to begin receiving Sodal Security income
insdtudons the love of the media for an impend- after age 65, even while continuing to work, do
ing crisis. Even global warming, with a real provide a financial incendve to postpone redre-
calamity that is even farther into the future, sdll ment. Though the median age of redrement in
receives regular attention. Is the media hype the United States has not yet shown an upturn,
about the baby boom modvated by ageism? it nonetheless is possible that many baby
Perhaps. The hype may also be modvated by boomers may choose to work longer.
the desire to attract viewers and adverdsing. Another change characterizing older people
When a crisis is manageable, it is managed. is their increasing desire to live in their own
When a crisis is overwhelming, as in the case of households, independent of children and other
the demographic imperadve, it is only depress- reladves. Independent elders are less likely to
ing. Thus we see the pessimism that is seemingly use informal caregivers and more likely to pur-
so rampant, and the ennui. Even the leading- chase products and services to get what they
edge baby boomers, who felt so powerful in the need. In 1990, about 9 million Americans age 65
early 1970s, are overwhelmed by it now. and older lived alone. It is expeaed that by 2010,
This apocalypdc picture of the fiiture is indeed that number will approach 13 million. This three-
ageist, because it objectifies people who are decade trend is associated with the rising income
aging and treats them as though they are all levels for older women.
alike. They are not people any more; they are The feminist movement's influence on the
"the burden." From this negadve point of view, baby boom generation should also increase
these older people are not capable of con- women's choices and independence during the
tribudng creative soludons to meedng their boomers' redrement years. Aging baby boom
own needs. They have no agency. They are inert, women may be better prepared to live inde-
the burden. The sky is falling, and it is falling pendendy. They will also have resources their
because there are too many older people. That mothers never had and, just as important, they
sounds ageist to me. There are worse responses, will have the atdtudes that sancdon doing so.
however. Reducing the life expectancy rate in Because they tended to delay marriage and expe-
Fall 2005 81
new Baby Topic
GENERATIONS
rienced high divorce rates, many in this cohort the growing older populadon as the reason for
have lived independendy for years. They are this rise. Medical costs are indeed escalating at
used to keeping their homes, managing their a higher rate than general infladon, and the gap
money, and handling emergencies by them- has been persistent for decades. This factor alone
selves. Virtually all baby boom women have win eventually threaten to bankrupt the med-
worked outside the home for at least part of ical system and bring about greater national
their lives, and many have their own incomes controls. The growth of the older populadon
and pensions. alone is not driving medical infladon; it is pan-
Businesses can also help defiase the negative demic. However, if the growth of the older pop-
connotadons of the demographic imperadve. uladon is perceived as having been behind the
Private firms that produce and distribute goods eventual crisis, and if the crisis generates an
and services to enhance independence longer unsadsfactory outcome, this outcome will serve
into old age will find growing markets, and the to feed ageism, regardless of the realides involved
compeddon they generate will make these prod- (Longino, 2000). The aging baby-boom gen-
ucts available at a decreasing cost over time. This eradon could become a scapegoat.
cost reducdon will primarily benefit the smaller
generadon following the boomers. Because die CONCLUSION
baby boom of many Third World countries was To summarize, the baby boom may seem to
bom after World War II, overseas markets will be a threat as it ages, but its greatest leverage
provide extended opportunides for assistive may come from its numbers. The large birth
devices and other products or services after the cohort has already altered the social structure
American baby boom generadon is gone. In the as it advanced through its youth and middle
U.S., adverdsing to the boomers as they redre years. Schools and colleges expanded, but they
will tend to paint posidve images. Among all were still overcrowded when the boomers
older Americans, boomer redrees will be seen arrived. Because of increased competition, all
as young, healthy, mosdy married, better edu- but the early boomers had to wait longer for
cated, and enjoying their redrement—because of job advancement.Increased demand inflated
the products and services being advertised. Will values in the housing market, making the ini-
these pictures tend to diminish ageism.? Perhaps. dal apartment residence of boomers last longer,
Will the baby boomers, many of whom pop- and the home in the suburbs come later. Now,
ularized healthy lifestyles, be healthier in old boomers are informed by their experience. They
age? Since 1953, per capita tobacco consump- expect that their numbers will challenge the
tion has declined in the United States. Con- social structures surrounding redrement and
sumpdon of butter, whole milk, and ice cream old age. They have seen it before and they have
is also dawn, as is use of saturated animal fats for survived. On the other hand, their large num-
cooking. Consumption of vegetable oils and bers have always idendfied them as an important
fish, on the other hand, has increased. It is diffi- age-based market. The business community is
cult to believe that these trends will have no not likely to forget them as they age; it would
influence on the rates of chronic disease in old be foolhardy to turn their back on a market of
age, potendally reducing the use of health ser- that size. Business is likely to follow boomers
vices and lengthening the average person's into their later years, providing new products
period of productive contribudons (Longino and services that will extend their independence
and Mittelmark, 1996). Evidence of increasing as they age. Because of the boomers' numbers,
good health among people in their 60s and 70s, their higher levels of educadon and better gen-
and perhaps their 80s, will tend to reinforce the eral health, soft news stories will aboiond point-
picture of a vibrant old age that will be generated ing to the reladve flood of redred people into
by media marketing. Such an image would fly volunteering, adventure experiences, second
in the face of ageist apocalypdc demography. careers, relocating abroad for retirement. These
images, collecdvcly, will support the geronto-
On the other hand, rising healthcare costs
logical nodon of "successfiil aging." The posi-
could serve to feed ageism because many view
82 Fall 2005
new Baby Topic
A£teism in the New Millennium
dve side of this eventuality is that overt ageism ble work and retirement schemes and to a
may diminish in the general populadon. The greater array of goods and services in the mar-
negadve side is that advocacy for the poor and ketplace that will extend independent lifestyles
the frail may continue to fall on hard dmes. for baby boomers as they age. If so, one could
Einally, even though the evidence suggests argue that the baby boom may diminish struc-
that baby boomers are turned off by polidcs, tural ageism.
there is at least the potendal of great polidcal The baby boom is on our doorstep. Is this
clout in the baby boom. However, it is uncer- the calm before the storm? We fear that it will be
tain whether strength in numbers affects polit- like a wrecking ball unleashing its destrucdve
ical behavior. Robert Binstock has reminded us potendal. However, it may be more like a chal-
for the past thirty years that older people in the lenge. Challenges can generate creadve answers,
U.S. are more likely to vote their class interests many of which are unknowable ahead of dme.
than their age interests (Binstock, 2000). As gerontologists, we should embrace the chal-
Recently, I addressed a small group of redred lenge and study responses to it ftom the baby
CEOS at a breakfast meedng sponsored by the boom generadon. co
Advancement Office at my present insdtudon. Charles F. Longino, Jr., Ph.D., is Washington
Wake Eorest University. After I finished dis- M. Wingate Professor, Wake Porest University,
cussing the various strategies that may be taken Winston-Salem, N.C.
to save Social Security, one gendeman raised
his hand and asked, "Why do we need Social REFERENCES
Security at all?" Of course he didn't need it, not Binstock, R. H. 2000. "Older People and Voting
at all. I smiled and thought of Binstock. The Participation: Past and Future." Germtolqgist ^o{i): 18-31.
bottom line is that we simply do not know yet Easterlin, R., SchaefFer, C. M., and Macunovich, D.
whether the leading-edge boomers will become J. 1993. "Will the Baby Boomers Be Less Well Off Than
social acrivists on behalf of enddement pro- Their Parents? Income, Wealth, and Family Circum-
grams when they become beneficiaries. The stances over the Life Cycle in the United States." Po^-
lation and Development Review 19: 497-522.
weight of past evidence suggests, however, that
they will not (Binstock, 2000). Longino, C. F., Jr. 1996. "Myths of an Aging Amer-
ica." In C. P. Cozic, eA., An Agin£i Population: Opposing!
One would logically expect that with the Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.
retirement and continued aging of the baby Longino, C. F., Jr. 1999. 'The Future Population
boom, our images of aging are likely to change Aging in the U.S.A. and Pacific Rim Countries: Impli-
for the better. Wrinkles vwll certainly seem more cations Are Not Always Obvious." HaUym International
"normal." On the other hand, marketing tends Journal cf Aging 1(1): 33-43-
to flatter the customer. When the customer is Longino, C. F., Jr. 2000. "Pressure from Our Aging
Population Will Broaden Our Understanding of Med-
older, such flattery may arise from cultural
icine." In E. W. Markson, Intersections of Aging: A Reader
ageism. Cultural ageism is an atdtude embedded in Social Gewntobgy. Los Angeles: Roxbury Publishing
in a type of consumerism that celebrates the Company.
body beautiful, and therefore disadvantages the Longino, C. F., Jr., and Mittelmark, M. B. 1996.
older body. This cultural theme may persist as "Sociodemographic Aspects of Aging." In J. Sadavoy,
the median age of the nadon rises in the twenty- L. W. Lazarus, and L. F. Jarvic, eds., Omprehensive Review
first century. If it does, then a pernicious cul- ofGeriatric Psychiatry, chapter 5, pp. 135-52. Washington,
D.C: American Psychiatric Press, Inc.
tural ageism will persist.
Peterson, P. G. 1999. Gray Dawn. New York: Crown.
Structural ageism, on the other hand, refers
to organizadon or arrangement of insdtudons Stone, R. 2005. "What We Are Training For? The
Needs of Student and the Demands of the Aging Pop-
in ways that limit the opportunides and choices uladon." Paper presented at the 31st Annual Meeting and
of older people. This kind of ageism may be Educational Leadership Conference of the Association
forced by circumstances to yield to more flexi- for Gerontology in Higher Educadon, Oklahoma City.
Fall 2005 83
new Baby Topic